Monday, May 16, 2011

Back to Basics with Droid Incredible 2

So I think in some ways as I look back on my nearly 5 years in NYC I have become one of those New Yorkers who are always moving, thinking what's next from moment to moment and finally realizing it's a little unhealthy to be constantly frazzled, constantly moving and feeling stressed out by impending deadlines, crushed by my inbox or at times hounded by overly eager PR folks simply trying to pitch story after story. Yes, I need of a vacation. So when the opportunity arose and the lovely folks at HTC invited us for a spa day of relaxation, I couldn't refuse. I took a mini break from my everyday life and decided it was worth it to take a half-day from my day job. Lani and myself surrounded by some of our favorite Blogger friends had the chance to relax, sip cucumber and have a refreshing lunch of fresh fruit, mini sandwiches and some Mediterranean fare at the Townhouse Spa. We learned about some of the new features of the phone and then got to use demo models to check out some of the unique new features including an 8 megapixel camera and new larger screen size. Since I have inadvertently become somewhat of a tech junkie since starting the blog a few years ago I couldn't wait to take it for an immediate road test.

HTC since re-designing the Incredible really felt like they were going back to basics and so they thought it would be a great excuse to help some fatigued New York City bloggers a chance to get back to basics while getting manicures, pedicures and mini massages. Since I enjoyed the HTC Incredible so much last round, I was like a kid in a candy store with the device and immediately ripped open the box to start using it while I was getting a pedicure. Even while drying my nails I was using features while chatting with Nicole, the woman behind designing the phone about how she got into working in Tech and into designing phones. Turns out that she worked with phones many many years ago but back when phones were simpler there was not much to design, so she left stopped for quite a few years. Now that phones have become so much more multi-dimensional she’s really enjoyed putting a woman’s touch to the design and getting feedback from other women what they think about the product.

Initial thought are that the new phone has a larger screen and is slightly wider than the previous model and features a rubberized finish in matte black to help keep a good grip on your phone and prevent fingerprints. Although it’s slightly larger, the weight feels pretty comparable. Like it’s predecessor, it’s blazingly fast and super intuitive to use using HTC Sense to help make uploading multiple photo’s to Facebook a snap. The joystick button has been removed and the phone is entirely touch now, save for the side volume control and the power button.

After geeking out a bit, I got my glam on! On my toes I tried Liz and Ginger Goin’ back to Cali and on my nails I went for OPI Dutch Tulips with OPI Black Shatter on top. After a drying break, I snagged a mini massage and I was ready to melt into the chair. While Lani was getting her make-up done, I called my mom on Skype and caught up with her! I just logged in using my Skype ID and all my contacts imported in automatically including contacts that I already had saved in Google. Pretty awesome!

Feeling like a a truly polished lady and with sparkling nails, toes and faces, we left feeling rejuvenated and ready to face the rest of the week. I forgot what a difference that even a few hours away from the regular can make in a girl’s life. Thanks HTC for such a fabulous day. We’ve been putting our demo phones to good use the past couple weeks!